Published On: Tue, Sep 24th, 2013
Society | By InSerbia Team
Serbia: Romani language needs to be standardized
BELGRADE – The collective rights of the Roma population will be fully exercised once the official use of the Romani language is ensured, it was concluded on Tuesday by participants of a conference on standardization of the Romani language.
In order to come into official use, the Romani language needs to be standardized, Vitomir Mihajlovic, president of the National Council of the Roma National Minority, stated at the conference in Belgrade.
He said that the necessary conditions have been created since the National Council of the Roma National Minority has been working on the standardization of the Romani language for decades.
Dragoljub Kojcic, director of the Institute for Textbook Publishing, said that language is part of the identity of every population including Roma, and added that the media, particularly the electronic ones, can contribute to the standardization of the Romani language.
OSCE Mission official Matthew Newton stated that in the last few years Serbia has made progress in promotion and inclusion of Roma.
The state institutions have made progress in the implementation of the strategy for the improvement of position of Roma since its adoption in 2009, Newton said.
He also said that regardless of the progress the social stands on the Roma community and other national issues are often based on stereotypes.
These stereotypes are often reflected in prejudice, discrimination and even violence, he warned and concluded that there is a long way ahead to change such social stands.